Revelations from Patch 5.2

[WrenElessedil]

Garleans and the Echo

Knowing what we now know about the Echo, that it's a limited reawakening of a sundered ancient's power, is anyone else curious about what this implies regarding Garleans? From what I can gather, it is possible for some Garleans to manipulate aether and maybe gain the Echo, but it's extremely rare. Does the fact that Garleans can't typically have the Echo imply that they are almost all "new" souls and not sundered ancients? Or does their inability to manipulate aether block them from the Echo? Has it ever actually been explained why they're unable to manipulate aether? It seems like there's some missing information in there that could be very interesting.

[Jandor]

Garleans and the Echo

Knowing what we now know about the Echo, that it's a limited reawakening of a sundered ancient's power, is anyone else curious about what this implies regarding Garleans? From what I can gather, it is possible for some Garleans to manipulate aether and maybe gain the Echo, but it's extremely rare. Does the fact that Garleans can't typically have the Echo imply that they are almost all "new" souls and not sundered ancients? Or does their inability to manipulate aether block them from the Echo? Has it ever actually been explained why they're unable to manipulate aether? It seems like there's some missing information in there that could be very interesting.

I've always viewed the echo and more general aether manipulation as rather distinct categories.

Partially, I think, because even those who can manipulate aether still have to learn how to do it, while the echo mostly just 'is'. Zenos has taken his artificial echo further, but it seems just having it is enough to unlock the basics like understanding languages and getting glimpses of peoples pasts.

I don't think it would necessarily be any rarer in Garleans than in any other population.

Trying to remember if Hydrus said anything about it back at the Warring Triad. I know he was all about protecting echo users, but can't remember if he mentioned anything specific about Garleans.

That starshower scene outside the tower:

Did everyone hear hydealyn during the starshower?

I'd been working on the assumption that most people were not sundered ancients, instead being descended from the new life that was seeded after the planet was stabilized. Sometimes people would end up being born with a chunk of ascian soul reincarnated from the lifestream, but for the most part I thought the ancient and the new were basically separate.
Hence Emet being pretty chill about the idea of killing everyone after the rejoinings are done. I'd have expected him to have some slight doubts if the plan was to sacrifice a bunch of newly fixed ancients.

If everyone heard hydealyn though, wouldn't that imply everyone was there at the fall? And therefore everyone used to be an ancient?

[Alleo]

[HB]
That starshower scene outside the tower:

Did everyone hear hydealyn during the starshower?

I'd been working on the assumption that most people were not sundered ancients, instead being descended from the new life that was seeded after the planet was stabilized. Sometimes people would end up being born with a chunk of ascian soul reincarnated from the lifestream, but for the most part I thought the ancient and the new were basically separate.
Hence Emet being pretty chill about the idea of killing everyone after the rejoinings are done. I'd have expected him to have some slight doubts if the plan was to sacrifice a bunch of newly fixed ancients.

If everyone heard hydealyn though, wouldn't that imply everyone was there at the fall? And therefore everyone used to be an ancient?

Well my pure speculation on this

We know now that the starshower triggers a memory of the final days but that not everybody gets the echo from it. It of course could mean that everyone else is a new born soul. Or it could simply mean that it only happens to those from Amaurotine. There were more cities in the ancient world but Amaurotine was the last to be destroyed and the one that witnessed the end of the world. IMO a lot or maybe even all people are from ancient times but those without the echo are simply souls that died before the final days thus it does not trigger anything.

Emet does not care because he simply does not see us as alive. Maybe its his way of trying to tell himself that what he does it good or maybe he truly believes it but it does not matter. At the end they planned to sacrifice recompleted souls anyways..which would include echo users too thus Ancient ones. They seemingly only care about those that sacrificed themselves to Zodiark.

[Cilia]

Garleans and the Echo

Knowing what we now know about the Echo, that it's a limited reawakening of a sundered ancient's power, is anyone else curious about what this implies regarding Garleans? From what I can gather, it is possible for some Garleans to manipulate aether and maybe gain the Echo, but it's extremely rare. Does the fact that Garleans can't typically have the Echo imply that they are almost all "new" souls and not sundered ancients? Or does their inability to manipulate aether block them from the Echo? Has it ever actually been explained why they're unable to manipulate aether? It seems like there's some missing information in there that could be very interesting.

Some of this is explained, some of it is not.

As Aulus mal Asina exposits in one Stormblood cutscene (specifically right after Fordola's Resonance procedure), Garleans' general inability to manipulate aether is tied to genetics. It's not stated that no Garleans can use magicks, but those that can do so are so rare as to be never seen in the field. (Most Imperial mages are conscripts.)

As for the Echo, as it's tied to the soul, theoretically there could be Garlean Echo users... but in the Garlean Empire they are considered no better than beastmen (or at least were, under Solus' / Emet-Selch's rule) and probably purged as soon as they came up. Not helping is the very specific trigger it takes to awaken the power.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

Qitari Sworn Quest:

I can't believe this quest

involved filthy rats and sickness being purged.

[JeanneOrnitier]

Today's Qitari (Sworn)

It's interesting that even when you choose the nice option the Namazu still ended up being driven out of the forest for not worshiping Ronka's gods. For a nation that seemed pretty accepting of other people that's a curious decision.

[Erendis]

Qitari stellae. Which one do you like better?

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

Today's Qitari (Sworn)

It's interesting that even when you choose the nice option the Namazu still ended up being driven out of the forest for not worshiping Ronka's gods. For a nation that seemed pretty accepting of other people that's a curious decision.

The Namazu

stole the Qiqirn Beast Tribe quests in Stormblood, so the Qiqirn stole their lives in Shadowbringers...

[Crushnight]

Qitari stellae. Which one do you like better?

Qitari beast tribe

I choose a mix going son -> father -> son or blue -> red -> blue.

History has both good and bad and I actually feel a mix of these is better than had I taken a full side, though with every pathway being 'correct' it does feel hollow, least we have 2 parts that is consistent throughout Namazu are driven from Ronka and glory be to the Scree!

[QT_Melon]

So still pondering from before...

I forgot to mention about my musings about Hythlodaeus that apparently the 5.2 dungeon seems to have a lot to do with his position? Also the line about the Elidibus - could be "he never became the core" or that I still think that Hythlodaeus has some involvement with one or both of the primals since he is the Architect. I highly doubt he just didn't know

Her line about the Elidibus struck me for two different routes.

Elidibus didn't become the core (as stated prior) which may be why the Ascians became tempered. (Someone may have passed on the idea of using someone as a core?)
Elidibus did become the core and was replaced - and it was someone they respected (the former Elidibus from what it seems like). Emet definitely didn't seem to care for the current one. So it IS rather interesting she would ponder that.

Why record themselves if the sundering would happen? Was the recording on purpose?